Happy World Water Day!

Thirsty? Imagine having to walk four miles just to get a drink of water. That is how 1 in 6 people still live on this planet. To solve this crisis, it does not take rocket science, or discovering the cure for cancer, we know how to bring safe, clean drinking water to the masses. The Romans have been doing it for centuries. Developed countries have all but eliminated outbreaks such as cholera since the early 1900’s.

Organizations like Water For People are trying to do just this, by raising funds to help communities in the developing world build sustainable water systems, adequate sanitation, and provide hygiene education. Not only that, but they are going back and checking on the systems years later to ensure that they are still working properly.

Not a day goes by that I do not think about water, my use of it and how to reduce it, or how to help people get access to it. Through my day job - helping Americans improve their drinking water infrastructure, to volunteering with Water For People (has it really been almost 14 years since first joined the Chesapeake Committee??), I hope I am making my mark in this arena. I’m proud to say that since I’ve been volunteering with Water For People, the three different committees I have participated on and been chair or co-chair of, have probably raised over $200,000 in fundraisers! And with the ACE2011 Gala right around the corner, the DC Committee is poised to raise more from a single event than they have since they formed. If you are in the DC area, or coming to town for ACE2011 – visit our website to learn more about the Gala and get a ticket (http://www.waterforpeopledc.org).

So what does water mean to me? Not to be cliché, but water is life. Think about everything you eat, see, and do, it is all made possible because of water. Without it, you won’t live very long. When there is a natural disaster, like the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, water is the most important thing people need to survive. Even the nuclear meltdown occurred because the electricity went out and there was no water available to cool down the reactors.

I am thankful to live in a country where I can simply turn on the tap and have fresh, safe drinking water, and usually as much as I want of it. I cherish my 4-5 mile runs in the morning with friends, instead of having to go that far to fetch water for my family and carry back 40lbs of it on my head. I am glad I was able to go to school and get an education, instead of helping my mother collect water every day. Most people take these things for granted, but on this day…World Water Day…I just ask that you take a moment and think about water. What does it mean to you?

Happy World Water Day!! (http://www.worldwaterday.org/)

(special thanks to my friend Lori for inspiring me to write this blog post…her water/running blog this past year has been moving, thought provoking, and at times hilarious to read!)